Happy Is a Choice and a Process
By: Coach Diane Catrambone
Unless you are living under a rock, with no access to the internet, you’ve most likely seen numerous articles about happiness and the importance of being “happy.” Being happy is an indicator of how well you handle relationships, how well you perform in the workplace, how fulfilled you feel as a human being, etc.
It’s not an automatic way of life for most of us, is it? It’s a process. As a coach, I am part of an exciting evolution toward discovering deeper meaning and fulfillment in all areas of my clients’ lives as well as continuing to do my own work. It’s my choice of career that allows me to help my clients and others to open up their thinking to a new set of possibilities within a new framework. An expanding frontier which I am very proud to play a small part.
As a fitness professional, I have long held to the belief that if you eat right and exercise well, you can maintain a healthy weight and stay strong throughout your lives. But, I see so many people struggling to do this.
So many of you are doing what you believe to be correct, but are still unable to lose that extra weight, you’re still walking around feeling stressed and tired most of the time and you are being self critical about your abilities to be successful.
So, I can’t help but wonder….what is going on? Albert Camus said, “But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?” Being present with your situation, in the here and now, is an important attribute of being happy. Being present creates the awareness and space to look at the bigger picture.
If you are continually asking yourself why you can’t lose weight, why you can’t commit to an exercise program, why you experience road rage every time you get behind the wheel of your car, you are not being present to what is presenting. Your body communicates with you 24/7. Once you can still the mind, get rid of the ‘why can’t I’ and start looking to the reality of where you are right now, in this moment, you will gain awareness and will begin to acknowledge what needs to change in order to allow for change, real and permanent change.
I know that many experts talk about what you need to eat and how you need to exercise. I’ve been that expert and I rely on others now to keep me informed as my interests have lead me down a different path. I am not saying that what you eat isn’t important. It’s extremely important. Just ask the expert vegan or the expert Paleo eater, the dairy haters, etc. I’m not saying that physical activity shouldn’t be part of your everyday life. I’m still a personal trainer and I get it! I am saying that if you just can’t muster up the energy to figure out what’s best for you …. Something is getting in the way and that something is a disconnect from your happy place.
A simple place to start getting back to ‘happy’ is to reconnect with that which gives you happiness. Have you said to yourself…I used to (fill in the blank) and it made me happy, but I don’t have time anymore? Getting back to favorite activities or hobbies creates meaning in your life. This may not sound like a direct path to weight management and exercise, but I believe that it is. It’s self awareness like this, that allows you to identify what puts you in a place of safety and allows you to be happy that will open the doorway to change and better health.
Celebrate YOUR Life …. One Day At a Time
For more information please contact Coach Diane:
www.healthbydesigninc.com
diane@dianecatrambone.com
Be Fit. Be Healthy. Be Happy.